What government programs would you cut or eliminate?

Everyone hates paying taxes, but most people want to enjoy the benefits of them. If you could take an axe or a scalpel to the Federal budget what would you remove. What's unnecessary that really bugs you?

I'll start with one that I disagree with myself about. The National Endowment for the Arts could be removed. It's a really small percentage of the government and I truly believe that the arts serve an important part of our educational/cultural identitiy and without the arts we would stagnate and suffocate. Nontheless, I'd be willing to get rid of the NEA and fold the useful parts into another institution or even transfer all its responsibilities to state and private hands. Reason being, the community centers, outreach, and talent is better seen and understood from close in. More, the NEA in my mind should not support those who've "made it," but be a cultivating force for new ideas and new artists (then again, I do think that funding things like the Smithsonian, Brooklyn Museum of Art, etc. are hugely important, but I'm nto certain the NEA does that although they do support tours that make it to those venues).

So, though it would pain me I could see the NEA getting the axe.

Farm subsidies.

While true that many farmers need gov't help, many more do not and yet still recieve it. Free money! Yay!

God forbid some of them would have a conscience.

Fix Farm Aid.

Millionaire landowners are paid legacy subsidies for NOT growing crops.

In 2005 when farmers made record profits, the Feds handed out $25 billion in aid.

Part of that included $1.3Billion to people who aren't farmers, but they own land that used to be farmed.

Dept of education, FEMA, NEA, EPA, IRS, FCC, etc etc

Dept of education, FEMA, NEA, EPA, IRS, FCC, etc etc

What he said.

Cut or eliminate? Name one! Cut many of them and eliminate the rest.

We could probably make do with about half the military spending.

http://www.extremeskins.com/showthread.php?t=259707&highlight=government+programs

Merge.

Dept of Education, IRS, ATF, DEA, EPA and close ALL overseas military bases or give the host country the option of completely funding them. Just to start.

http://www.extremeskins.com/showthread.php?t=259707&highlight=government+programs

Merge.

Pleaseblitz proposes cutting this thread to save bandwidth.

you wanna cut PB?

I don't know about the EPA or the DEA. I'd like to see them properly funded first before we decide that they aren't necessary. The EPA, especially under Bush, has been so woefully undermanned and understaffed that they can't possibly do their job as a watchdog... pretty much with the DEA

you wanna cut PB?

We could probably make do with about half the military spending.

A question for the group ... without searching, how many F-15s, F-16s and F-22s does the Air Force have?

And how many do you think we need to protect our interests?

And how many F-35s is the Air Force buying at a cost of $104million each?

In theory, everything not specifically authorized by the Constitution, so pretty much anything that's not interstate highways or the military.

In practice, that's pretty drastic, so I'd probably settle for one or two programs at a time.

Perhaps we could start by eliminating the Department of Education.

In theory, everything not specifically authorized by the Constitution, so pretty much anything that's not interstate highways or the military.

In practice, that's pretty drastic, so I'd probably settle for one or two programs at a time.

Perhaps we could start by eliminating the Department of Education.

Isn't it funny that the only thing they do well (military) is the only thing they are actually allowed to do.

Isn't it funny that the only thing they do well (military) is the only thing they are actually allowed to do.

A lot of the cuts that both McCain and Obama want to make are from wasteful military spending:

Smarter Defense Spending

John McCain has worked aggressively to reform the defense budgeting process to ensure that America enjoys the best military at the best cost. This includes reforming defense procurement to ensure the faithful and efficient expenditure of taxpayer dollars that are made available for defense acquisition. Too often, parochial interests - rather than the national interest - have guided our spending decisions. John McCain supports significant reform in our defense acquisition process to ensure that dollars spent actually contribute to U.S. security.

John McCain also feels strongly that our nation's military spending, except in time of genuine emergency, must be funded by the regular appropriations process, not by "emergency" supplementals that allow defense to be funded outside the normal budget cycle. This process gives Congressional committees less ability to closely scrutinize defense budget requests to ensure military funding is being budgeted wisely. It makes possible Congressional pork-barrel spending that diverts scarce defense resources to parochial home-state interests. And it allows the administration to add spending above that set by budget caps, bloating the federal deficit. Budgeting annually through emergency supplemental appropriation bills encourages pork barrel spending. The American taxpayer has a right to expect us to get the most out of each and every defense dollar, especially at a time when those dollars are so critical. Throughout his career, John McCain has fought pork-barrel defense spending that diverts scarce defense resources to parochial, home-state projects rather than addressing the needs of service personnel. He believes that unauthorized earmarks drain our precious defense resources and adversely affect our national security. John McCain will continue to fight pork-barrel spending to ensure that military funds are spent where they are needed most - in support of our military personnel and our national defense.

http://www.johnmccain.com/informing/issues/054184f4-6b51-40dd-8964-54fcf66a1e68.htm

Tech Boy,

The Constituion does provide for a few more departments. For example, Commerce Department runs the Census. Department of Justice does kind of blend into the Supreme court as well.

Welfare and other similar social programs (hahahaha)

Dept of education, FEMA, NEA, EPA, IRS, FCC, etc etc

What this fellow said.

Welfare and other similar social programs (hahahaha)

You would cut welfare entirely?

You would cut welfare entirely?

yeah, why not? They are pointless(gotcha again)

yeah, why not? They are pointless(gotcha again)

Be out of work for an extended period of time and see how "pointless" it is.

I would cut the DoD. That's not gonna be popular but my recommendation is that we should cut the military to bare bones after every war just like we did with all the wars until WWII.

yeah, why not? They are pointless(gotcha again)

Is this a joke?